Governor Inslee Adjusts Extends Stay Home Stay Healthy Order to May 31, 2020

Governor Inslee has issued Proclamation 20-25.3 Adjusting and Extending Stay Home – Stay Health to May 31, 2020. He has also issued the state’s ‘Safe Start” plan for a phased approach to re-opening Washington State’s economy. The Governor’s Proclamation and Safe Start plan are provided in the “Supporting Documents” section.

Phase 1 of the phased approach allows the following:

• Essential businesses open
• Existing construction that meets agreed upon criteria
• Landscaping
• Auto/RV/Board/ORV sales
• Retail (curb-side pick-up orders only)
• Car washes
• Pet walkers
• Some outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, golfing, boating, hiking)
• Drive-in spiritual services are allowed with one household per vehicle

No gatherings except as identified above are allowed.

Additional information regarding construction within the city limits is provided below.

Additional information regarding recreation in White Salmon, Klickitat County and the Columbia Gorge is provided below.

Existing Construction Allowed to Resume
Existing construction can resume within the city limits of White Salmon. Existing construction means any construction project that was permitted as of March 23, 2020 or needed to fulfill an obligation under a contract effective prior to March 23, 2020. All construction activities must meet the Phase 1 Construction Restart COVID-19 Job Site Requirements. This information is provided in the “Supporting Documents” section.

Before any contractor or property owner resumes construction work within the city limits of White Salmon, they must submit documentation that they will meet the Phase 1 Construction Restart COVID-19 Job Site Requirements. In addition, if a property owner or contractor intends to apply for permit(s) for construction that is needed to fulfill an obligation under a contract effective prior to March 23, 2020 – documentation of such contract will be required prior to submitting any permit applications.

Questions about restarting existing construction or applying for permits related to “existing construction” should be directed to Bill Hunsaker, Building Official at billh@ci.white-salmon.wa.us or by calling 509-637-0671.

Recreation in White Salmon and the Columbia Gorge
Phase 1 re-opening begins Tuesday, May 5th which allows certain recreational activities to resume. However, there are many popular locations in the Gorge that are not part of this initial re-opening. The Washington State Parks’ webpage provides a detailed list of what is open and what is not open: https://parks.state.wa.us/1181/Parks-opening. In addition, National Forests in the Columbia Gorge have not been reopened by the Forest Service.

The City of White Salmon’s parks (Rheingarten Park, Spoke Bike Park and Gaddis Park) are open. However, it should be noted that the playground equipment and the restrooms at Rheingarten Park will remain closed due to limited capacity of Public Works to maintain sanitation of the equipment and facilities. The public restroom at the park and ride on Highway 14 is also not open. The tennis courts at Rheingarten Park can be used for “singles” games (no doubles) if social distancing is maintained. Gatherings in any parks are not allowed.

While many are eager to have access to their favorite Washington and Oregon Gorge locations, we are tying to balance that desire with the realization that reopening will also invite visitors and could strain our limited resources. There is a bi-state effort underway throughout the Gorge to enlist input from land managers, county and city officials, and law enforcement so there is a coordinated effort behind such re-openings. The patience of our local communities and your continued efforts to follow the various guidelines and restrictions is appreciated, and we are working to bring access back in a responsible and timely manner.